Institute for Local Self-Reliance

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The Institute for Local Self-Reliance or ILSR, is a nonprofit organization that advocates for local solutions for a sustainable future.

Founded in 1974, ILSR’s mission is to provide the conceptual framework, strategies and information to aid the creation of ecologically sound and economically equitable communities. To that end, ILSR works with citizens, activists, policy-makers and entrepreneurs to design systems, policies and enterprises that meet local or regional needs; to maximize human, material, natural and financial resources; and to ensure that the benefits of these systems and resources accrue to all local citizens.

More historical background can be found in the document "ILSR: A 20 Year Track Record Promoting Sustainable Communities," prepared in May 1994.[1]

ILSR has two main offices, one in Washington, DC, and the other in Minneapolis, MN.

ILSR's primary program areas and related web sites (as of October 2006) include:

1. New Rules Project: Research, analysis and technical assistance promoting the best of the best public policies that strengthen communities. The new rules project's web site has more than 300 local and state policies across nine broad sectors. The program offers e-bulletins, podcasts and policy reports. Main sectors of focus are decentralized energy, community broadband and supporting locally owned business networks.[2]

2. Carbohydrate Economy: research and analysis of moving from petrochemicals and industrial materials to a plant matter-based materials economy. Current focus is on creating a bioplastics future.[3]

3. Waste to Wealth: ILSR's oldest program involving job creation, technical assistance and research/analysis of state-of-the-art methods to reduce waste and create economic development. Focused on scrap-based manufacturing, zero-waste campaigns, building deconstruction, product responsibility for manufacturers, and healthy re-hab of buildings. [4]

ILSR's work supporting locally-owned businesses is comprehensive. ILSR has helped dozens of cities to enact public policies like size caps and mandatory impact reviews to prevent or limit large chain stores from negatively impacting their local businesses and downtowns. ILSR has published two books on the subject: The Home Town Advantage: How to Defend Your Main Street Against Chain Stores and Why It Matters (2001)[5] and Big Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America's Independent Businesses (2006)[6]